


The Breath That Passed From You To Me

by AabH



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Fluff and Angst, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Little Mermaid Elements, M/M, Mike Wheeler Loves Will Byers, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Violence, Will Byers Loves Mike Wheeler, Will Byers-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:33:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24332866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AabH/pseuds/AabH
Summary: AU, slow burn, fluff, angst. Enjoy.The nofin was still struggling, fighting the vicious waves to breathe and call out in it’s ugly, guttural tongue. Will couldn’t speak it, but he’d observed enough nofins for long enough periods to know this one was calling for help. Will broke the surface, using the waves to conceal himself and looked around. The ship was still moving, getting further away from the member who’d fallen overboard. Didn’t they realize this one was missing from their pod? Hadn’t they seen it fall?
Relationships: Will Byers/Mike Wheeler
Comments: 31
Kudos: 49





	The Breath That Passed From You To Me

Will had always been a bit of an odd one out among his pod; he had duller coloration, a lack of shoaling instinct, and he wasn’t particularly aggressive or competitive. Will was more interested in exploring the depths and playing with the dolphins than hunting or training to guard the pod. But even despite his peculiar ways, saving a nofin had to take the kelp as far as odd behaviors and traits went. He didn’t know why he did it, nofins had never been friends to merfolk. Historically, the nofins hated Will’s kind, caught them in their nets, trapped them in invisible cages and took them away from the sea. They’d even pierce mer’s fins with blinking, glowing tags that hurt to rip out but hurt a lot less than a harpoon to the gullet, so Will supposed some of them were kinder than others (if you thought being impaled by a smaller object than a harpoon was a kindness). Nofins were dangerous and savage and cruel. They didn’t deserve sympathy or help but… Will didn’t want to watch one die. 

Will had been following the ship, gliding along in the wake it made as it cut across the ocean’s surface, enjoying the ride. He’d stayed back, envying the dolphins their ability to ride the wake so close to the ship with no apparent danger posed to them. They always caught the best waves, had the most fun with the least threat offered. When the storm rolled in, Will took the opportunity presented, the cover it provided, to edge closer to the ship for a more exciting ride. 

He watched the nofins scurrying across the deck, watched them struggle to maintain control as the storm moved closer. They used their ropes and sails to try and keep the vessel steady and flat even as waves and rain pounded against it relentlessly. It was of little use, the ship tipped back and forth despite their best efforts. Will watched their graceless movements in their strange, two legged way. Some fell flat from the rocking motion of the waves, other’s managed to miraculously keep their balance. One had climbed halfway up the forward mast to tie off the jib line that had broken free in the wind. 

Will swam around, watching the dark haired nofin reach out, trying to catch the rope as a high wave struck the vessel, tipping it precariously. The nofin lost it’s footing and Will let out a quiet cry as the creature fell, mimicking the thing’s own cry of alarm. Will half expected the nofin to strike the deck of the ship and lie broken upon it. Amazingly, it missed and plummeted safely into the churning water below. 

Will dove, swimming deep to get a better view of the nofin as it kicked it’s useless, finless legs and propelled itself towards the surface for air. The things it wore on it’s body seemed to weigh it down, making it’s weak attempts to swim even more piteous. How easy it would have been for Will to catch the nofin between his webbed hands, use his claws to snare the fabric of the nofin’s garments to drag the pathetic creature down lower, to it’s doom. Another mer may have done it, Billy certainly. He, with his brightly colored scales and frills had lured more than one foolish nofin to it’s death in the cold embrace of the unforgiving water. 

Will considered what to do instead of quickening this creature’s journey to the endless sleep. He dove a little deeper, giving himself room to build momentum and then launched himself up. Will flew skyward, towards the flailing creature and broken, choppy surface of the water. He may be small when compared to the rest of his pod (only eight feet long from fluke to crown of his head and probably a hundred pounds lighter than most males of his kind), but he was fast and agile. Will had managed to wriggle out of more than one net that had taken his brethren, and now he used that lithe agility to propel easily through the water towards the land dweller above him. 

Will used his momentum to curl and push his thick, muscular tail against the nofin’s struggling feet, giving the creature something solid to push off against as his weight and speed thrust the creature upwards. As Will snapped his fins and pushed the flailing creature towards the surface, he twisted to see if he was successful. He watched the nofin break the surface and take a deep breath of the air above. Will smiled, baring his sharp teeth in self satisfaction. The nofin would be fine now. Will knew they needed air like all mammals and now it had access to some. Will _could_ breath air this way too, but it wasn’t necessary. His gills allowed him to filter the water around him for oxygen just as easily. 

Will, pleased with himself, swam around to keep an eye on the happenings above. The nofin was still struggling, fighting the vicious waves to breathe and call out in it’s ugly, guttural tongue. Will couldn’t speak it, but he’d observed enough nofins for long enough periods to know this one was calling for help. Will broke the surface, using the waves to conceal himself and looked around. The ship was still moving, getting further away from the member who’d fallen overboard. Didn’t they realize this one was missing from their pod? Hadn’t they seen it fall?

Will descended again, circling beneath the pumping legs of the nofin and bumped against them again, trying to encourage the creature to stay afloat. That seemed to panic the nofin and it kicked harder, calling louder so Will retreated a little, giving it space. He kept a distance below so he could watch and not be seen as he tried to decide what to do next. 

The nofin above him was tiring. It’s arms and legs were slowing their pumping motion and every time a wave pushed it under, the nofin took longer to swim back up again. When a particularly brutal wave pushed the nofin down a final time, it didn’t fight back. Will was bewildered. Didn’t this creature want to live? It was going to drown if it didn't at least _try_ to swim. 

Will did a circle around the floating creature, still keeping a distance as the nofin drifted lower, dragged down by the weight of it’s clothes and the ocean’s pull. It’s eyes were closed and small, life giving bubbles were leaving it’s nose and mouth. Will hesitated a moment before approaching. He reached out a clawed hand and gripped the nofin around the back of it’s neck, drawing it’s mouth to his, and breathed out into it the creature. Once he’d gotten a good grip on the thing, Will used his second hand to pinch it’s nose closed so the air he gave it didn’t escape that way. 

Will didn’t know if this would work. He’d only seen his mother do this with newborn dolphin calves that had trouble surfacing for their first breaths. The nofin was essentially the same thing, a helpless calf who needed the air above to live. Will could make his own, draw in what he needed through his gills and give what he could from his mouth into this sad, small, land dwelling thing. It was a little difficult to navigate like this, tangled in the body of the nofin while delivering it air at a consistent basis, but Will managed. The surface was too wild right now with the storm, so Will swam deeper, where it was calm and dark and Will could maintain control. 

There was an island not far away from where the boat had left it’s podmate to die. Will had visited it often to explore the coral reef, collect pretty shells, lounge on the white sand, and sun himself as long as he pleased. It wouldn’t be hard to find. He could dispose of the nofin there, where it would be safe and be on his way. Will kept his mouth pressed to the nofin’s, breathing for it and himself. A rough current made him bump against the other creature roughly and he cut the nofin’s lip on one of his fangs. It’s blood was a little cold. Were nofins supposed to be that cold?

When the island was in sight, Will rejoiced; his burden would be over soon. He pushed the nofin onto the beach and dragged himself behind. He was weaker on land than he was in the water. Everything was so much heavier out of the water and his usually powerful tail was more of a hindrance than a help out here, but Will made due. It was high tide, a lucky break. Will wouldn’t have to drag the nofin far up the beach to avoid any incoming waves that might try to drag it back into the depths. Will tilted the nofin’s head back, waiting for it to breathe on it’s own. 

It didn’t. 

Will was puzzled. Did it still need help? Was it already dead? Will pressed a long, frilled ear to the nofin’s chest and listened. There was a heartbeat, thready and weak but it was there. Will pressed his mouth against the nofin’s full lips and breathed out, feeling the chest beneath him rise. Will continued for a few minutes, not quite willing to call it a loss just yet. Quite suddenly, the nofin started coughing and water erupted from it’s mouth. Will recoiled at the display, ready to drag himself back to the water and safety. 

The nofin was struggling, jerking a little and shaking as it vomited mouthful after mouthful of salt water up onto the sand. Will was coiled tight, all of his frills and fins spread, making himself look bigger as he bared his teeth in warning. If the nofin woke and tried to attack, it would regret that decision. But the nofin didn’t wake, not exactly. It rolled to it’s side and moaned, still shaking from apparent cold. It’s eyes didn’t open and it didn’t move again after rolling to it’s side. 

Will crawled closer, with every fin and frill still as wide and tall as he could make them. He might not be brightly colored as the other merfolk, but Will was still an impressive sight when compared to this dull creature. Most of Will’s scales were a deep blue, allowing him to blend easily into the ocean around him. He had some dark, royal purple along his underbelly, his torso and his fins. The fins and frills themselves were a dust colored gold and when he spread them, he dwarfed the nofin. 

But… the display was an unnecessary one. The nofin wasn’t waking even though it was breathing now, having emptied it’s lungs and stomach of water. Will waited but it’s shaking didn’t seem to abate either, nor were it’s garments drying in the warm evening air. The storm had passed and out of the water, Will was already dry. He crept closer and looked down at the unconscious creature. It had a thick mane of dark curls around it’s head and face and although it had no frills or bright colors, it wasn’t hideous to look upon. Will used a clawed finger to push a strand of hair away from the nofin’s face. 

Will had never seen one this close before. It was… interesting. 

It was pale, only a few dark markings dusted across his nose and cheeks. It looked like a ray’s spots only smaller. Camouflage? The colorations weren't bright or beautiful, but maybe they helped the nofin blend into the land the same way Will’s helped him blend into the sea. 

Cautiously, Will curled around the cold and soaking form, enjoying the dampness against his scales. He’d help warm up the nofin and then head home. He listened to the creature’s heartbeat and felt it’s chest rise and fall as it breathed. Will closed his eyes and waited for a long while, twitching his tail in agitation. The storm was well passed and the moon was rising. When would this thing wake up? Will needed to get back to his pod but he couldn’t leave the nofin alone and vulnerable. He’d worked too hard to get it safely to shore to let it freeze or have some animal take it. 

After what felt like an eternity, Will felt the shaking stop. Some time after that, the nofin twitched. Will pulled away, propping himself up on his arms to look down at the creature. It rolled it’s head to the side and let out another low moan as consciousness returned to it. Will watched in interest as it started to wake, even forgetting to expand and enlarge himself defensively. When the nofin finally opened it’s eyes, Will noted they were the same color as it’s curls. The nofin blinked up at him and Will smiled, baring his teeth a little. 

The nofin jerked and tried to scuttle away, to right itself. Will hissed and pulled back. He really shouldn't have let himself lose track of time. The tide was going out and he had a longer stretch of beach to travel to get back to the water’s edge. Will was slow on land but he dragged himself as quickly as he could back to the water, using his powerful tail to propel himself onward. The nofin was making those ugly sounds in it’s language at him. A threat? Will couldn’t tell. He didn’t know enough of their language to be able to decipher it. 

“Bak!” Will hissed, snarling and baring his teeth fearfully. 

The nofin didn’t pursue him. It just watched with a look of awe as Will flopped into the water, pushing himself away from the shore. The nofin called out again but Will didn’t listen. He swam to the reef and to safety, curling among the coral to see if the nofin would try and follow. It didn’t and Will let himself relax, confident that he was well hidden here. The pod was too far away to make it back to tonight and Will was tired. He’d return in the morning. 

**

Will woke to the rays of sunlight drifting through the coral reef to where he’d nested among it. He stretched, thrashing his tail excitedly and swam up, breaching the water joyfully to welcome the morning sun before remembering why he was here instead of with the pod. Will quickly retreated beneath the surface to hide again. Slowly, he crept upward to peek over the water. He didn’t see the nofin anywhere on the stretch of beach he’d left it. Had it gone deeper inland? Maybe it had been rescued in the night while Will dozed?

Will swam closer to the shore, eyes and ears peeled for signs of movement. He traveled about a quarter mile along the coast before he located the nofin. It was in the water, apparently trying to fish (doing pretty poorly, honestly). It had taken it’s top garment off along with the things it wore on it’s feet and the cloth it wore around it’s legs was rolled up past it’s knobby knees. The garment it had worn on it’s torso was now wrapped on it’s head, protecting it from the sun and it’s exposed chest was smooth. Didn’t females of that species have teats regardless of whether or not they were nursing calves? Was it a male then? It was hard to tell with these creatures. Female mers had long, flowing dorsal fins and their flukes were mostly transparent near the tips, their ears more elongated and delicate. 

Will kept a distance and watched the nofin try and fail miserably at catching fish. He looked like he was getting frustrated. Sweat and sea water were soaking it and it’s pale skin had a red tint now. 

_Well of course you aren’t going to catch anything that way. You’re loud and slow and sloppy._

Will swam out, trying to herd a school of fish towards the shore, to help the nofin. Even practically serving the fish up on a silver platter seemed useless. The nofin was absolutely hopeless at this simple task. This nofin had no hunting instincts at all it seemed, judging by the way it struggled. How had it survived this long? Will sighed, blowing bubbles in annoyance as he slowed his speed. Will needed to eat anyway. It wouldn’t be difficult to catch this creature a fish or two while Will hunted for his own meal. 

It didn’t take terribly long. Will was quick and his claws and teeth were perfect hooks to catch the small, wriggly fish with. He swam a ways further down the beach and tossed two slain fish ashore. He swam back out to watch and to enjoy his own meal, teeth tearing through the fish easily. 

The nofin hadn’t seen Will or the fish he’d left on the beach yet. The curly haired man was still trying to catch his own (and still failing). Will considered his options. If this nofin was such a miserable hunter, what danger did it really pose with Will safely in the water? Will dove down, then back up, launching himself from the water with as much flash and spectacle as he could. Will breached again, turning to see if the nofin was looking this time. It was. One more breach ought to do it. Will leapt up, seeing the nofin had returned to the shore and was walking in Will’s direction, the direction of the gifted fish. Will hit the water and swam further away and back down the coast, putting distance between them. 

When he popped his head above the surface of the waves to watch, the nofin had discovered the fish and was examining them, trying to determine their freshness. Will watched the nofin turn to face the water where Will had breached. He looked like he was scanning the surface, trying to locate the mer but he was facing the wrong direction since Will had moved back down the shoreline. It called out in it’s native tongue and held up one of the fish. A ‘thank you’? Will observed from a distance as the nofin made it’s way back to where it had nested for the night. It crouched over a pile of wood and extracted something from it’s nest. Whatever it was, the nofin used it to light the wood aflame. Will recoiled. What was it doing? Why was he putting the fish over the flame? Did the nofins hate merfolk so much that it would destroy the gift of food Will had given him?

But no. As Will watched, the nofin was actually eating the charred and ruined fish. Strange, but as long as he was fed, Will was satisfied. Will watched it settle in after it’s meal, wiping the collected moisture from it’s brow before sprawling out on the warm sand. Will kept an eye on the man as he rested on the sand, apparently sunning himself as Will often did. Will could smell a morning rain rolling in, could the nofin? It didn’t seem to be able to and Will watched it panic for a while trying to save it’s fire. It eventually gave up, simply turning it’s head skyward to catch the rain as it fell. 

Was it thirsty? There was water all around. Could it not drink from the ocean? Will knew the beaches of this island like the back of his fluke. He knew there was an estuary and cave with a pretty cove nearby. If the two leg couldn’t tolerate the salt of the ocean, maybe it would fare better there. At least it would have shelter and a place to forage and drink. 

Will swam closer, breaching the water as he’d done earlier. The nofin had retreated into the treeline, sheltering as best it could from the rain and hadn’t seen Will. Will frowned. He wouldn’t go ashore and his display was lost among the rain and waves. Will couldn’t speak the man’s tongue well but he could try, at least mimic the sounds he’d heard. Will tilted his head back and cupped his webbed hands around his mouth to amplify the sound. 

“Hep! Hep!” he chirped, trying to imitate the sound the nofin had made when it was calling to it’s pod as it struggled not to drown the day before.

“Hep!”

The nofin man looked up, trying to identify where the noise had come from. 

“Hep! Hep!” Will called again, splashing to draw attention. 

It finally worked and the nofin ventured out, away from the treeline to see what Will was doing. Will slapped his tail against the water and began swimming in the direction of the cove, making sure to breach the water frequently so the nofin could follow him. Will was successful and the nofin was trailing along behind him on the shore. Will swam up and into the cove, making circles and flashing his golden dorsal fin as a beacon for the nofin to follow. The nofin made it’s way into the cave overhang, where the cold fresh water met the warm ocean current. 

The nofin tasted the flowing water and seemed pleased. It smiled, it’s dull, blunt teeth not exactly an intimidating sight. It raised a hand and called out again in it’s own language. Will peaked over the water’s surface and trilled in return, pleased with himself for helping. He swam just beneath the surface, watching the two leg drink until it was content. He continued to circle beneath the water’s surface, observing the nofin closer than he’d dared to before. 

It seemed to be doing the same to Will. The nofin was pacing along the lip of the cave, looking down into the lagoon, looking down at Will. It even called out again but since it had no claws, no sharp teeth or even a makeshift weapon, Will wasn’t concerned with any threat it might pose to him (if it was a threat it was calling out at all). He may be slow on land, but Will was safe in the water. The nofin couldn’t offer him harm here. 

Eventually, the nofin sat, dangling it’s feet _in the water_ where Will swam. What an idiotic thing to do. What if Will had gotten bored and decided on dragging the nofin down, drowning him just to see if he could? The nofin was making it extremely easy on Will if he’d wanted to hurt it. 

Will circled about fifteen feet away, trying to get a better look at the man. He was small, smaller even than Will. It was barely over six feet from foot to crown. It had smooth muscles and the marking on it’s face continued down it’s chest, back, and arms. It had hair under it’s arms, across it’s chest and down it’s midsection, the same color as that on it’s head. There even seemed to be some on it’s legs (at least the exposed parts that Will could see where it had rolled up it’s garments). 

Will didn’t have hair on his body. He had scales that faded into skin. It wouldn’t have made sense to have any decorative hair, it would have just caused drag in the water, slowed his speed. And the nofin’s hair seemed to be purely decorative. It wasn’t thick or full enough to offer real warmth or protection from the elements. The nofin was speaking in low, soft tones. Was it speaking to itself or to Will? Will crept closer, his dorsal fin breaking the water so he could try and hear what the man was saying. Since it was speaking slowly, Will could understand a little. 

“You helped me.”

At least that's what Will thought it was saying. 

Will raised his head above the water to observe from two tail lengths away. The nofin was speaking in more excited tones now that Will had emerged a little, still keeping it’s speech slow. It didn’t look afraid and it was tapping it’s chest, repeating the same phrase before pointing at Will.

“Hep,” Will chirped back, repeating what he had heard the nofin crying out earlier. 

The nofin looked excited and nodded. 

“You helped,” it affirmed, pointing at Will. 

It then pointed at itself and said a single word. 

“Mike.”

Was that the thing’s name? Will swished his tail and tried to form the word. 

“Myke,” he repeated, looking at the nofin for confirmation. 

The nofin nodded happily and pointed at Will, waiting for him to speak. Will hesitated, not sure how to say his name in a way the nofin would understand. He settled on the simplest way he could think of. 

“Will.”

“Will,” the man repeated, looking pleased. 

He said something else, a phrase Will recognized as one of gratitude. Will nodded and dipped below the water again. The nofin, Mike, called out and Will re-emerged. What did it want? Will had brought it food and shown it shelter and fresh water to drink. What else did it need? He looked at the man, holding his position by treading water. 

“Help?” the man asked, indicating himself. 

Will considered the request. He wouldn’t, _couldn’t_ approach another vessel and hope for the best. What was the likelihood that he’d find nofins as friendly and harmless as this one? Will ducked beneath the water and swam away, towards the open ocean. Mike called out after him but Will ignored it for the time being. The nofin would have to be patient, it would have to wait. Will would be back soon. 

**

Will had returned to the pod, letting them know he was okay and then checked in with his mother and the warriors. He didn’t mention the nofin. Billy would probably want to kill it to protect the pod (and Will). Billy’s own mother had been taken by a nofin’s net when Billy was barely more than a calf and he’d hated them ever since. The fact that Billy had been making mating displays at Will for the better part of two months wouldn’t help his disposition towards the rescued nofin. 

Why Billy continued to make the gestures was beyond Will. Will had no interest in the warrior, nor in taking _any_ mate right now. But especially not Billy. He was brash and crude and dull to boot. All he wanted to do was fight and hunt and hurt things for the fun of it. Billy had no dreams he wanted to share, he never watched the stars or sang to the moon or even tried to craft anything with his hands that wasn’t a weapon. Will wished Billy would move on, there were plenty of other merfolk who would be happy to partner with him. Why did Billy insist on bothering Will with his nonsense?

Will made his way to his nest, sheltered safely among the seaweed and rock formations. He pulled out a satchel fashioned from seal skin and began filling it with rope, nets, compressed seaweed and a shelling knife among other provisions. Will could spare these things. He wouldn’t give over his spear, he didn’t trust the nofin _that_ much, no matter how harmless it seemed. 

He made his way back to the island, staying low to the ground so he could collect shrimp, clams, crabs and other ground dwellers for the nofin, disposing them in his net as he swam. If nothing else, this would be enough to help the nofin stay fed until it’s own kind came and found it. Mike might not be much of a hunter, but if he had any sense at all he’d keep the collected animals alive and in the water until he needed them, keeping them fresh and safe to eat. Will was back at the island before mid sun. 

The cove was quiet and empty when he returned. Will swam up to the lip of the cave to peer in, trying to see if the nofin was having a midday sleep. The cave was maybe twenty feet deep before it narrowed to the place where the water trickled out from the rocks to meet the sea. Will couldn’t see the nofin anywhere in the cave so he slung the sack up and into the enclosure before pulling himself up to join it. He took a moment to fashion the net over the lip of the cave so the animals rested in the water but couldn’t escape. 

Mike couldn’t have gone far. It looked like he’d set up more wood to burn but had left his foot garments nearby. Will pulled himself over to the wood and examined the makeshift nest the nofin was trying to make near it. It looked like he was using foliage instead of warm sand. Silly, but Will wasn’t the one who had to nest there so it wasn’t really any concern of his. Will picked up one of the foot garments and looked it over. They were hard, heavily padded and protected on the bottom where the nofin stepped. Will set it back down and pulled his satchel next to the wood pile where Mike would find it. The cave seemed sufficient. It was cool, damp, and deep enough to protect the nofin from the sun and elements. 

He jumped in surprise when he heard Mike call out. Will jerked and hissed, raising his frills, making himself larger and baring his teeth in a hiss. Mike froze, almost dropping the wood he was carrying into the water. Will drug himself to the edge of the cave and pushed himself off. Will hadn't meant to startle and go into a defensive mode so easily, but what was done was done. He couldn’t help that he was uncomfortable on land with a nofin sneaking up on him. Will circled around in the water, waiting to see what Mike would do. 

The man had begun moving again once Will was in the water, setting down his bundle and set about examining the satchel Will had brought him. He started talking excitedly and making the appreciative noise again and Will trilled back. Will didn’t particularly want to get close to the cave lip with Mike so close to the water’s edge but the man hadn’t noticed the net with the food in it yet. Will chirped to get the nofin’s attention back on himself and when Mike’s dark eyes fell on him, Will motioned for him to back up. 

“Bak,” Will barked, surprised when the nofin immediately followed direction and stepped away, deeper into the cave. 

Will swam closer, keeping an eye on Mike who’d squatted down to watch what was going on. Will picked up the full net and held it up, indicating the contents before dropping it back into the water. Mike seemed to brighten and started to edge closer but stopped himself, still trying to follow Will’s direction. Will pointed to the net, then his mouth, then to Mike in case the nofin hadn’t gotten the idea. Mike nodded and made those appreciative words again. Will swam back a little and nodded. 

“Hep,” he said, grinning a little. 

Mike seemed taken aback by the sight of Will’s teeth so Will stopped, descending beneath the surface of the water again. Once Will was fully submerged, Mike approached the edge of the water and pulled the net out to look at the contents more closely. Will watched and grinned again, hidden deep where the nofin couldn’t see the expression. 

Will was tired. He’d traveled quite a bit in the last day and he needed to rest. He swam away from the cove to look for a comfortable place to nest among the coral for his mid sun sleep.

When he woke, it was half past quarter sun. Will stretched out, rolling across the sand to scratch his scales before setting out to search for food. He found a tasty eel and slurped it down quickly before setting off back to his pod, taking a lap around the cove to check on the nofin. Mike wasn’t in the cove or on the surrounding beaches. Will hoped he was alright. 

**

Will spent the next few days near the island, observing the nofin and it’s habits. They were exhausting creatures (or at least this one was). Mike seemed to wake early and not sleep again until well after sun rest and even though Will ached to have his mid sun sleep, he didn’t want to miss any of the nuances to Mike’s activities. This was a perfect opportunity to learn and catalog information about the nofins and their routines and store the information away for later. After days of watching with minimal sleep, It was almost a relief when the nofin wandered away from the beach to venture deeper into the island and out of view. It gave Will a chance to explore the cave and get a closer look at what Mike had been up to. 

It looked like he’d been collecting the bones from fish to fashion into hooks to catch more (makeshift claws on lines, smart). He’d even tied bones and rocks on the nets to weigh them down and trap fish when he cast the net into the sea. Mike may not have been born with his own claws or fangs, but he was at least clever enough to make mock ones as tools. He’d even managed to use the shelling knife and rope Will had given him to catch some land animals, keeping their pelts and using them for warmth. Will would have to bring him a seal pelt. The small creatures Mike had caught and skinned weren’t large enough to cover all of his form while he slept and the nofin sometimes shivered at night when it’s fire died down. 

Will was curious and settled on exploring the narrow portion of the cave where the fresh water flowed in from the rocks. This is where the nofin kept it’s borrowed supplies and it’s own belongings. It had made a shelf from driftwood it collected to store things on, and when Will accidentally knocked it askew by crawling under it, the net fell from the shelf and onto him. 

Will thrashed when the net landed on him, weighing him down and tangling him in it. The rocks really were quite effective (why was everything so heavy up here?) and the bone hooks woven into the net cut Will as he flipped and twisted, trying to knock the thing away from himself. Panic was rising in him and Will slung himself around, only succeeding in wedging his upper body uncomfortably between the rocks of the narrow space and knocking down the shelf entirely, scattering it’s contents around his wildly flailing tail, crushing a few things under it. 

This wasn’t working, but at least he had the cool, no salt water flowing around him to keep him wet and cool. It soothed his cuts and Will took a breath, trying to keep his hysteria from overwhelming him and causing more harm. He lay still a moment, working to figure out how to free himself when he heard Mike speaking in fast, loud tones. 

Will felt sheer terror at being trapped on land, in a net with a nofin fast approaching, and restarted his struggle. He bruised and cut himself against the rock formation, against the bones and little sharp things the nofin had been collecting as he fought to break free. When he felt the nofin _touch_ him, Will let out a frightened squeal and slapped his tail around in dread. The touch withdrew for a moment and Will twisted to see the nofin holding the shelling knife in his hand. Will screeched louder and expanded his frills as far as they would go. 

Mike was speaking loudly, (celebrating his victory?) so he could be heard over Will’s howls and wailing. That ugly language was abrasive and terrifying and Will knew his fear scent was radiating from him in waves. If he was in the water, his scent and squeals would reach his pod and they would come for him. But no, he was stupid and had gotten himself trapped _on land_ , in a _net_ and he was going to die. The one thing Will had prided himself of being able to avoid for so many years and he’d wandered _right into one_ because he was stupid and foolish and too curious by far. 

The nofin had the knife and he was going to use it to gut Will, strip his scales and fins and take them as trophies (and stupid, trusting fool that he was, Will had been the one to arm the nofin). Was he going to eat Will when he was done? Will had heard tales that the nofins sometimes ate mer flesh, even considered it a delicacy. Will had always been told how cruel the nofins were, how savage and heartless and he’d let himself become too familiar with this one. The gulls always came home to roost. 

Will cried out again and thrashed his tail violently back and forth, trying to knock the nofin away but only tangling himself further in it’s trap. Mike was still shouting and he straddled Will’s tail to hold it down while it searched for the perfect place to strike, to land a killing blow. Things were _so heavy_ out of the water and despite being smaller than him, the nofin was able to pin Will’s tail and hold it down flat against the ground. 

Will couldn’t even reach the man with his teeth and claws he was so well wedged into the small space. He was helpless and he was going to die, frightened and alone. Will cried out again, high and loud as he struggled and squirmed beneath the weight of the man, adrenaline giving him a second wind. Will almost managed to throw the nofin off, but it held fast, keeping it’s grip on Will despite the mer’s efforts. Mike stopped shouting and tried speaking more quietly, repeating the same phrase over and over. Will felt hot tears rolling down his face and his own fear scent was choking him in the enclosed space of the cave. 

When the knife finally came down, it cut through the rope of the net, not Will’s flesh. Mike moved the knife down the length of the trap, severing the cords and cut through the netting with minimal difficulty. Mike pulled away the ruined net, threw it off of Will’s body as he worked, cutting himself on the hooks. Mike continued his task while Will lay shaking and frightened beneath him. The nofin kept talking, working steadily to remove the rest of the net before rising up and releasing the pressure on Will’s tail to stand. 

Will couldn’t bring himself to move. He was exhausted and weak and still wedged between the rocks. He almost jumped out of his scales when the nofin grabbed him around the waist and pulled. The cave floor cut him as he was dragged but Will didn’t have the energy or strength to resist as the man pulled him free of the narrow space. Mike released Will and backed away, keeping out of striking distance of Will’s claws and fangs. 

Will was still too weak to move so he lay shaking on the cold ground, curling around himself, frills deflating. Will’s fight or flight response had backfired and he was shutting down, accepting his fate. His fear scent was dissipating as his body gave up the fight. Will felt heavy, so heavy out of the water, and useless. He closed his eyes, teeth chattering from the adrenaline and fear. He twitched when Mike touched him again, even though the touch was gentle. 

Mike was stroking down Will’s bloody scales, over the dorsal fin on his back, the adipose fin of his tail, down to his fluke while speaking quietly. Will shivered, still curled in on himself as Mike spoke softly, still stroking down his scales. Slowly, Mike pulled Will up and into his arms and lifted him. Will hissed weakly, trying to show that he still had fight in him but it was a feeble display, not even making the nofin flinch this time. Mike dragged himself and Will to the cave lip and pushed them both into the water below. 

Will felt Mike’s legs pumping around him to keep the nofin’s head above the water and Will stayed limp and exhausted in his grip, trying to figure out exactly what was happening. Will blinked up at the dark eyed man, confused but relieved to be back in the soothing salt of the ocean. Mike was looking skyward, his chin tilted back to keep his nose and mouth above the water. Will watched his throat work, watched the veins beneath the skin pulse and thought of how easily he could lash out, even in his weakened state, and rip that throat open between his teeth to free himself. But Mike felt warm and strong against him, even if he was a pathetic swimmer and he wasn’t trying to hurt Will. If anything, he seemed to be trying to help. 

Once in the water, Will had relaxed, allowing himself to be held. After a moment, he thrashed his tail and the nofin loosened it’s hold on him a bit. Will eventually started squirming and Mike released him entirely so he could wriggle away. Will let himself drift to the bottom of the lagoon and landed on the soft sand, curling up on it. He was tired from the struggle and lack of sleep and knew he was too weak to swim back to his pod right now. Besides, returning like this, bruised and bloody, would raise unwanted questions. Not to mention the predators that lurked in the depths that would smell the blood and likely come sniffing around, searching for an easy meal. Will didn’t have his spear with him, nor the strength to dodge and outswim right now. 

Above him, the nofin dove down, trying to see what was happening. The cove was only about ten feet deep here, it wasn’t hard for the land dweller to reach the bottom. Mike touched Will’s shoulder and Will batted the touch away. He was tired, but he was fine. Mike touched him again and Will shot him a look. The nofin was holding it’s breath, examining the merman who lay on the sand, totally spent. 

The nofin must have been really stupid or really trusting, he didn’t even have the knife in hand any more. All Will would have to do to drown him would be to grab his ankle or wrist and hold on. Mike might be stronger on land, but in the water, even exhausted as he was, Will outclassed him.

Will waved a hand to show that he was fine and let out a chirp as extra assurance. Mike swam to the surface to breathe but didn’t pull himself out of the water immediately. He stayed, treading water and watching the mer beneath him until Will roused himself a little and curled into a more comfortable position. Once the nofin was out of the water, Will closed his eyes to sleep. 

**  
Will spent the next two days recovering from the ordeal. He didn’t venture far from the cove at first, even to hunt, but Mike gave him fish he’d caught to help keep Will’s strength up. Will spent most of the time sleeping, catching up on what he’d missed earlier that week while he’d been keeping an eye on the nofin. As Will healed, he started swimming further away from the nofin’s shelter. He watched Mike come and go, listening to him talk and trying to learn some of his words. Will could understand simple phrases now but couldn't speak them well. There was too much variation in how nofins spoke, to much emphasis on tense (past or present) and too many conjunctions. It wasn’t efficient and it bothered Will that he had such difficulty mimicking the sounds. 

Mike had taken to talking to Will while he fished, having noticed the mer listening to him. Sometimes he spoke in an almost melodic way, as if he was trying to sing while he worked. Will thought it was silly to even bother fishing after Will recovered his strength. Will was much more skilled in the art than the nofin would ever be, but Mike seemed to enjoy it and it was almost endearing to watch him get so excited over even the smallest of catches. 

Once a day, Mike would wander inland and strip his clothes to clean them in the no salt water, returning to let them dry on the beach while he scrubbed his own body with sand (at least he knew how to do that properly). Will was interested in his physique. It was muscular and lean and the hair indeed seemed spread past his stomach. Will watched Mike fish and build fires and wander around and sleep. Will showed him the best fishing spots, showed him out to find crabs and clams and the best places to watch the dolphins from. He even gifted the nofin a conch and after eating it’s meat, the nofin showed Will how to use the shell as a horn. Mike said if he put the shell to his ear, he could hear the ocean. Will thought that was silly, the ocean was all around. He could hear it just fine by stepping outside the cave whenever he wanted. 

One morning after returning from his pod, Will peaked his head over the edge of the cave lip and trilled, waking Mike with fresh fish. Mike smiled. 

“Thanks,” he said in that gravely, harsh tongue and took the fish, yawning. 

Will trilled again before clearing his throat, trying to reply in the nofin tongue. 

“Ellcome.”

“You’re getting better at that,” Mike commented, still rubbing sleep from his eyes.

“Thank ooo,” Will trilled, still having difficulty forming the words. 

Mike set the fish aside and stretched while Will dunked his head beneath the water to wet his face before resurfacing. 

“Swim?” he asked, wanting the man to join him early today. 

“Yeah, give me a second,” Mike agreed, running a hand through his tangled curls. 

Will swished his tail, impatient. 

“Swim,” he demanded, pulling his upper body out of the water to lean over the cave mouth. 

Mike chuckled, pulling his shirt off.

“I’m coming, hang on.”

Will swished his tail again, watching the man pull his leggings down and kick them aside. He kept on his last garment and Will felt vaguely disappointed by that. When Mike slipped into the water, Will brightened, diving to the floor of the cove before re-emerging. 

“We go fur,” Will said, leading the way. 

“Far? How far?” Mike asked, paddling along behind. 

“We see,” Will replied. 

He’d been testing the nofin a little more each day, trying to determine how far Mike could go. Obviously his own kind weren’t going to find him here on this particular island and Will still wasn’t willing to seek out another nofin vessel to drop Mike off at. Will needed to know how far Mike could swim, how strong he’d gotten at it and what kind of waves and currents he could handle. Will knew there was a harbor a way off, but he couldn’t bring Mike directly to it without risking himself and his pod. He could get Mike close, but the man would have to complete the journey alone. Will wouldn’t risk the nofin to drowning now, not after everything, so he made Mike practice. 

“Oh, okay. Real specific,” Mike laughed, still paddling behind Will at a decent pace. 

Will swam around behind him and dove down. He rose, bumping against the man’s legs. Mike made as if to move out of the way and Will shook his head, offering his dorsal fin. 

“Hold,” he instructed, motioning to his back. 

Mike reached out hesitantly but placed his hands on the strong fin, gripping it firmly. 

“Hold breathe,” Will said, watching to make sure Mike understood. 

The curly haired man nodded and when he took a deep breath, Will dove, dragging them both beneath the water’s surface to race forward. He tested how far he could go, pulling them both before he had to surface for Mike to take another breath. 

They had to try a few times to find a rhythm that worked and in the end, it was just easier for Will to skim the surface of the water, letting Mike keep his head up the whole time. It was slow and took longer than Will liked (Mike caused a significant amount of drag), but it was safer than estimating how often the delicate land dweller needed to come up for air. Nofins were such a puzzle. Even mammals that lived in the sea could hold their breaths a good while. Why would something that couldn’t accomplish that feat, that would drown if it didn’t have dry air almost constantly, wander out and risk it’s life to venture into water at all?

The laughter from behind Will’s ear was answer enough. Mike was having fun, clinging to Will’s fin and enjoying the feel of the ride just the way a calf would on it’s mother’s back. It was stupid and dangerous for them (they could easily drown and as soon as they were in the water everything around them was faster and stronger) but maybe the two legs enjoyed playing in the water, exploring it’s depths just the way Will did. He smiled at the sound of Mike laughing and leapt up, catching air and making the man on his back whoop and cheer with excitement. 

When they reached the open ocean, Will slowed down, trying to figure out how much further he could go before tiring. Mike released his hold on Will’s fin and began treading water. Will turned and did a lap around the man, breaking the water's surface to face him. Mike was browned from the sun, his spots (freckles, Will reminded himself) stood out against his skin, having also darkened from the sun’s rays. Mike leaned back into the salty water and let himself float. 

He stayed that way for a while and Will swam around again, rubbing his scales across Mike’s skin, wanting to touch him, to make sure he was okay. Mike rolled, pushing his legs down beneath himself. Will popped back up, watching the man tread water. He seemed strong, he’d probably survive the journey. Will swam forward, bumping his tail against Mike’s legs to get his attention. Mike looked over at him and reached out, putting his hands on Will’s shoulders to balance while he let the mer take some of his weight. 

“Sorry, I’m a little tired,” he explained sheepishly. 

Why the embarrassment? Nofins weren’t meant to travel this far and holding onto Will while he swam wasn’t an easy task. There was no shame in needing a rest. In fact, it was something Will needed to be aware of. It wouldn’t do to send Mike out alone without a rest if he needed one. 

“It fine,” Will said, using his webbed hands and tail to keep them both afloat. 

Will stayed that way a long while, enjoying the sun and the feeling of Mike’s weight against him. When the man leaned forward and pressed his mouth to Will’s, the mer was startled. Mike was above water, he could breathe just fine. Will parted his lips and breathed out into the nofin’s mouth. Mike pulled away, confused and laughing.

“What was that?”

“Breath?” Will asked, confused as well. 

Mike laughed again and pressed his hands harder into Will’s shoulders, drawing them closer together. 

“I was trying to kiss you,” Mike explained, a little red. 

“Kiss?” Will asked, not understanding the word. 

“Yeah it’s uh, how we show affection,” Mike tried to explain. 

Will thought about it. 

Oh. Mike was trying to initiate some kind of mating ritual. His kind didn’t have frills or bright colors to display their interest with so they must have found another way to show interest. Will felt a little hot. How were a mer and a nofin supposed to mate? Was it even possible? Will looked away a moment before spreading his frills and rubbing them against the dark growth of face fur that had developed on Mike over the past few months. 

Mike leaned into the touch, pressing back against Will and the mer shuddered. When Mike twisted his head to the side to kiss Will again, Will didn’t resist. He kind of liked the feeling of Mike’s lips on his. When Mike’s tongue probed at his mouth, Will almost bit down in surprise. He pulled back a little but Mike followed, still kissing him. Will felt himself blush but opened to the invasion, exploring the feeling. 

It felt good, _really good_. Will shivered and finally pulled away from the touch. Mike pressed his jaw against Will’s frills and rubbed against him, trying to show affection in Will’s people’s native way. Will returned the gesture, a growing desire building in him. He pressed his forehead against Mike’s and blinked at him with both sets of eyelids. 

“Cove?” he asked, unsure. 

“Yeah,” the nofin agreed, flushed red. 

**

It took negotiation, compromise only made more difficult by the language barrier, but they were eventually able to maneuver into a comfortable position for them both to show affection in. Will was unwilling to beach himself totally on the sand with Mike, still nervous about his weakened state on land, longing for the comfort of the sea. He was alright partially beached, keeping his lower body in the tide if nothing else but it wasn’t ideal. Will prefered to use his powerful tail to hold them both afloat while he touched and held the nofin, but his land dweller seemed more at ease when he could feel the earth near him rather than open ocean. For the most part, they would hold each other, halfway submerged in the water. 

Sometimes, Mike would wrap his arms and legs around Will while the mer held him beneath the arms to support and bear his weight, pressing his nofin’s back against the rock wall of their hidden cove. The nofin was surprisingly tender. Will had expected it to be a fearsome lover (nofins didn’t have a reputation for kindness or consideration even towards their own kind) but Mike was gentle, tentative even. 

Will learned about kissing and Mike learned about scent sharing. Will had never particularly liked the smell of nofins. They always smelled spicy or floral in a strange, artificial way. Even their fallen vessels smelled of chemicals and some created billows of disgusting black smoke that choked anyone who breathed it. But not Mike, at least not anymore. Mike smelled of sweat and musk and skin and life. Will could have rolled in that smell, covered himself in it. 

Mike was becoming a stronger swimmer every day and was doing better with holding his breath for longer periods of time. Will taught him how to spear hunt beneath the waves and Mike was developing some skill at it. Mike taught Will more words, simple phrases and even nofin songs. Mike tried his best to explain why the nofins took merfolk from the sea, why they tagged and sometimes killed them. Some wanted to study them, the tags were to track their movements. Others wanted to keep merfolk in large, glass pens for others to observe, to gawk at. Some were kept as pets. Other’s were harvested for the ‘magical’ properties they possessed and sold in bits and pieces on the black market. Will didn’t understand and Mike couldn’t explain it to him.

Will was spending more time away from his pod and the attention it drew was unwelcome. Will almost wept with grief when he explained to Mike that he had to stay away from their island for days at a time just to keep the questions at bay. Will knew he’d have to return Mike to his own people soon and the thought was a painful one. 

Will was watching Mike dive low, spear in hand while he hunted fish. No longer was he a poor hunter with little instincts and even worse aim. Now when Mike stripped to his under garments and took to the water, spear in hand, he swam fast, moved more gracefully. He let the tides and currents take him where they wished rather than fight them. Mike wasn’t flashy or large or impressive in the traditional sense, but he was beautiful in his own, otherworldly way. His long legs and torso were slim and lean from his diet of sea and shore life, muscular and powerful for his kind from his time in the water. Will enjoyed watching him run, take a leaping dive from land to water and even envied him at times. Mike could learn to swim, but Will would never know what it was to run, to dance, to leap from a tree into water, or stub a toe. 

The warning bark jerked Will from his thoughts as he watched the nofin stalk a school of rainbow perch and whirled to face the sound. His heart plummeted at what he saw. 

It was a hunting patrol, headed by Billy and they were quickly approaching, spears and pikes drawn. Will turned to look back at Mike but the nofin was deep in concentration, stalking his quarry with intent. He hadn’t heard the low frequency bark or seen the hunting patrol. 

Will didn’t have time to warn him. Will spun instead, swimming in the direction of his brethren to head them off. His heart raced, his gills flared in agitation as he struggled to keep his breathing even and calm. 

“Will! Get over here! Do you even see how close you are to that nofin?” Billy shouted, flaring in a mix of fear at the nofin and anger at Will’s foolishness at being so near to one. 

Will raised his hands, palms out to calm the enraged (and frightened) hunter. 

“It’s fine,” Will chirped. “It’s not dangerous,” he explained. 

The hunting party looked doubtful, incredulous at that statement and Will’s elder brother stared at him like he’d sprouted a second tail. 

“Will, come over here,” Jonathan urged, holding a hand to his smaller kin. “Get away from it, please!”

“No, you don’t understand. It’s not dangerous!” Will explained desperately. “I know him.” 

“Not dangerous?” Billy laughed. “It has a weapon! Get over here right now! I’ll take care of it,” the mer growled, surging forward. 

Will twisted, swerving to block the larger mer’s path and smelled blood. Mike had caught his prey. Will put his hands on Billy's spear shaft and tightened his hold, pushing it and Billy back. 

“No! Leave him alone! Just listen, please,” he begged, imploring the hunter to be calm and hear him out. 

“Get out of the way or I’ll make you,” Billy warned, threatening his would be mate. 

Will felt this fear gland release. The other hunters might be reasoned with, none of them had much desire to be near a nofin let alone go out of their way to get close enough to kill one, but… Much as Billy desired and pursued Will, he would hurt him if it meant he could get to and kill Mike. 

Will risked a glance behind himself to see Mike swimming towards the surface with his catch. Even as strong of a swimmer as Mike was now he couldn’t hope to outpace and make it back to the beach and safety before Billy reached him. Will had taken them too far and too deep to hunt. Mike didn’t even know he was in danger. If he saw the party of hunters, he might not even be alarmed by it. He’d probably be excited, thrilled even to meet more of Will’s kind. Will panicked. 

He shoved harder on Billy’s weapon and flared himself wide, trying and failing to intimidate the other. 

“No! Leave him be!” Will ordered, baring his fangs. 

Billy flared in return and shoved back, showing his own sharp teeth. 

“This is your only warning. Get out of my way.”

Will almost backed down, an automatic response to the demand. He wasn’t a hunter or a guardian. Will was a silly, daydreaming child who wandered away to explore the reef and collect pretty shells and play games with the dolphins. He swallowed hard and lashed out, aiming a blow at the larger, imposing mer. 

Billy pulled back, easily avoiding the blow. He snarled at Will and bore down on him, swiping with his own claws. At least he hadn’t used the spear, still not taking Will seriously as a threat. The blow landed across Will’s shoulder, drawing blood and making the smaller mer recoil in pain. Will looked up at him, fearful but not giving an inch. If he wanted Mike to have even a _chance_ at escape he had to do what he could to hold off the angry mer facing him. 

The rest of the hunters watched, Jonathan making noise of protest at his brother’s injury. They wouldn’t interfere though. This was a dominance battle, one Will couldn’t win. He had to try anyway. 

Will darted up, diving back down to swiping at Billy’s face and landing a powerful strike with his tail before weaving away again. Billy snarled and pursued. 

Will was fast, he could outswim Billy easily but if he did, he risked the hunter turning his attention to an easier target over a fleeing one. Will glanced up. Mike was still treading water, apparently unaware of the battle that had broken out beneath him. Will launched himself up, breaching and surfacing about a hundred feet away from the nofin. Mike looked at him, smiling in pleasure and holding up his catch for Will to see. 

Will squealed, having trouble forming the nofin words while pulsing with anxiety. 

“Bak! Swim! Cove!” he warned, only seeing Mike’s bewildered expression for a moment before he dove again, trying once more to catch Billy across the face with his claws.

Billy pulled back, twisted and slashed Will across the fluke, making the smaller mer hiss in pain. Will coiled to strike, battering relentlessly with his bleeding tail, hoping that Mike was doing what he was told and making his way back to his nest. Billy had a longer reach than Will and caught him around the throat, claws perilously close to Will’s gills and squeezed, halting the retreat Will had been trying to make. 

Will snarled, clawing and slashing at Billy’s wrist, finally drawing blood. Billy adjusted and tightened his hold on Will, effectively closing about half of the blue mer’s gills and cutting off most of his oxygen supply. Will tried to call out, afraid, and clawed at Billy’s arm, thrashing his tail in an attempt to free himself. Billy wouldn’t kill him, but he could make Will hurt. 

More of the hunters were voicing their protest at the brutal treatment of the small mer. They knew Will couldn’t go fin to fin with Billy, this was just overkill. Will squirmed, slapping his tail uselessly against Billy. He was losing vision from lack of oxygen. Billy was going to choke him out until he couldn’t fight anymore before moving on. It wasn’t a bad plan. Will was fading fast and his slaps and claws were losing enthusiasm. 

Billy snarled, more in anger than pain when a spear thrust against him, grazing his flank. He released his hold on Will and Will stared up in surprise and fear to see Mike only a few feet away, hunting spear in hand. Mike was kicking, not able to maintain his stance among the currents but trying anyway. Will let out a soft chirp, beyond distraught. 

_You idiot. You absolute moron. Why didn’t you flee? He’s going to kill you._

Billy turned to face the nofin, his gold and red fins flared wide. Mike jerked back but didn’t release his hold on the fishing weapon. Billy absolutely dwarfed the man. He easily had three feet of length and two hundred pounds of raw muscle on the nofin. When Billy turned to the smaller creature, Will lashed out, throwing himself against Billy’s back, latching on with teeth and claws. He pummeled into the larger mer, tearing at his skin and scales while Mike blocked an attack sloppily with his spear. 

Will was doing a lot more damage than Mike was, (the nofin was mostly fighting to repel attacks), but Billy was focused on Mike anyway. The hunters were barking warnings now, directed at Will, but he ignored them. He tore and slashed at Billy, trying to hold him back so he couldn’t advance on Mike. Will bit down hard on Billy’s dorsal fin, trying to shred it between his teeth and Billy howled in rage. The large mer finally turned his attention on Will after getting a good swipe on Mike’s leg with his spear, blooding the nofin. 

_Please swim up. Get as far away as you can,_ Will internally begged. _You’ll die if you don’t._

Billy was beyond furious now. He was really trying to hurt Will, maybe even maim him. Billy slashed at Will with the spear and cut him deeply across the chest. Will cried out and dove down, drawing Billy lower as his blood fanned out behind him. Will glanced over his shoulder to try and judge how much distance he’d put between Billy and himself and stumbled, horrified to see Mike descending with them, following them down instead of returning to the surface. 

_You idiot. You brave, stupid fool._

Billy reared back, slashed down at Will with his spear, catching Will through the adipose fin, nearly tearing it clean off. Will squealed again and twisted to try and escape the assault. A bright blue flash shot past Will and collided with Billy, sending him reeling back and away from the injured and retreating mer. Will stared at his brother who was wrestling with Billy, trying to hold him off and keep him away from his kin. Will trilled appreciatively at his brother and swam up, towards his nofin who was kicking furiously as little bubbles of air escaped from his nose. 

Billy had him by the ankle, refusing to let go despite Jonathan’s claws and Mike’s struggles. The nofin was pedal kicking as hard as he could but the blows were useless against the enraged mer. Even when he landed a powerful blow to Billy’s nose, sending blood spraying, the red and gold mer held firm. The other hunters were advancing, some trying to subdue their brethren as well and Will bit down hard on the other mer’s wrist, hot blood spurting into his mouth as he tore at Billy’s flesh, forcing the mer to finally release his hold on Mike. 

Will pulled away, swimming up to scoop Mike into his arms and started heading to the surface. He looked to Mike who was losing blood and was almost out of air. The surface of the water was so far away, Billy had drug the nofin too far down. Will pumped his tail hard, ignoring the pain. He turned his head to fully look at Mike who was struggling to hold on to the last of his air. Will pressed his mouth to Mike’s praying that he understood. 

_Breathe._

Will exhaled, pushing the air from his lungs into Mike’s, filling them with life giving oxygen. Mike fought against it for a moment before fully understanding. He’d been unconscious the last time Will had done this and he didn’t understand, was trying to resist the strange sensation. Once he fully understood what was happening, he relaxed, allowing Will to breathe for them both. They stayed that way for maybe a full minute before Will broke the water’s surface, letting Mike gulp down the air freely. 

“Hold,” Will encouraged him, indicating his dorsal fin frantically. 

Mike grasped it and Will took off, heading further out into open water instead of back towards their island, their hidden paradise. Not so hidden now. The hunting party would be able to figure out where a nofin had been surviving this far away from a mainland. The island was the only place a nofin would reside this far out. It was only a matter of time before Billy came to finish what he’d started. Will had to take Mike home. It wasn’t ideal; they were both injured and Will was tired but what choice did he have?

Will swam towards the mainland, his wounds, muscles, and lungs burning. Mike was trying to ask where they were going but Will didn’t have the words to answer. He continued on, only a few miles away now. Mike could see the land, the ship in the harbor and he was talking excitedly. 

Will wilted. 

Mike would be home soon, with his own kind. He was happy, elated even to be so close to his own people. He _wanted_ to leave Will. 

Will had known it was coming, had planned for it. He hadn’t planned on just how hard it would be to actually do it, to let Mike go, to say goodbye. Will slowed, letting Mike release him and treat water on his own. Will turned to look at his nofin, grief and despair threatening to overwhelm him. He looked away, focusing instead on some seafoam collecting near the shoreline. 

Mike reached out and touched Will’s face, drawing his attention back to the nofin. 

“Thank you.”

Will shrugged, looking aside again. Mike touched Will again and Will looked back up, having difficulty meeting the man’s eyes. Mike moved forward, rubbing his jaw, his facefur against Will’s face, his frills. Will squeaked in sorrow, rubbing back. He twisted his head to catch Mike in a kiss. Will wanted to cry, to have his salty tears mix with the water around him and Will wished he could drown in them. He didn’t want to give up his nofin. He wanted to keep Mike always. Will pulled away, whimpering, and shoved Mike roughly towards the shore. 

“Will, wait!” Mike called, trying to stop Will before he could dive. 

Will paused, refusing to look at the land dweller. 

“I’ll be back, I promise. I’ll meet you at the cave, our cove. I promise, okay?”

Will trilled, a half hearted display that ended in another whimper. He dove down beneath the nofin and bumped against his legs, trying to encourage Mike to go. Will rubbed his scales across his nofin’s legs and dove deeper, watching Mike start to swim. He shouldn’t have, but Will followed, belly low to the ocean floor. It was dangerous, he’d swore he’d never go so close to a nofin settlement but… he _had to be sure_ that Mike made it to shore, to the safety of his kind. 

He watched from a rockline as Mike stumbled onto the beach and fell to his knees, exhausted, bleeding, and near nude. A pod of nofins flocked to him, to see if the dark haired man was alright. Two nofins pulled Mike to his feet and slung their arms under his, lifting him and helping him walk on his injured leg. Will watched until they were out of sight.

He hung around the harbor for maybe an hour, recovering his strength before heading back to their cove. He drug himself up, over the lip of the cave and into what had been Mike’s living space. He dragged himself over to Mike’s nest and curled among the furs, the forgotten clothes and tools and wept. Mike had told him nofins thought mers were magical. Will wished it was true. If it was, maybe he could lie here, on dry land long enough and wish hard enough, his tail would melt away to legs, his fins would rot off until Will was a nofin too. He ended up falling asleep to the sound of his own tears. 

Will stayed in the cove for a few days, hoping Mike would return. When he didn’t, Will finally left, returning to his pod. He was punished, confined to the grounds for weeks before being released. Will returned to the cover every couple of days for months. The first time he saw a boat anchored offshore, he hesitated. Was it Mike? Was it another nofin looking for a nice place to relax?

Will crept closer, examining the vessel. It seemed deserted, no one on board. Will swam towards the cave and there he was. Will’s beautiful nofin was waiting for him. Will chirped in joy, launching through the water towards the man. Mike laughed, slipping into the water to meet and embrace Will. He nuzzled against Will, kissing his face, his mouth, his neck. Will had never been happier. 

Mike had removed his face fur. He looked younger, healthy. Mike explained as best he could that he’d rented the vessel and that he couldn’t stay forever. Will didn’t care. He had his nofin back, even if just for a moment. They swam and ate and shared scent and slept curled around each other. 

Will mourned when Mike had to leave, but he rode the wake of the ship as close as he liked, diving and coasting on the waves it made. Mike promised to return every second birthing moon and Will agreed. He’d wait. 

It continued that way for a long while and it was bliss. But months turned to years and Will’s beautiful, brave, foolish, clever nofin was aging. His joints pained him and even though the healing of the warm, salty sea eased his hurt, Mike couldn’t swim as well. He had trouble fishing under water so they returned to Mike on the beach, singing his songs with his fishing line in the water and Will listening to his words, trying to memorize them. His dark hair was changing, silver streaks crept in a few strands at a time. His face fur turned as white as a snow seal pup and eventually he had to just hold Will’s dorsal fin to let the mer take him out to the open ocean, carrying them both through the waters like he’d done years ago. Sometimes months would pass without a visit. Then they stopped all together. 

Will kept visiting, kept waiting. He thought his heart was so injured by Mike’s absence that it would break and he would dissolve, turning into nothing but sea foam. He started to avoid the cove. He only returned one day out of boredom and a pulling scent in the air. 

There was a boat by the coast. Will approached cautiously, it had been a long time since anyone had docked here. As he swam closer, examining the ship, Will saw him; young and beautiful and strong again. But…

It wasn’t Mike. 

Will swam under the ship, confused. The nofin was dangling it’s feet in the water, dragging it’s toes across the surface as it read words from a leather bound book. Will hovered under the boat, trying to determine what cruel trick this was. 

The nofin smelled like Mike, but not. It was speaking quietly to itself as it dragged it’s appendages through the water, inches away from Will’s watching eyes. Will backed up and swam out from under the ship, unnoticed by the nofin who was still speaking softly. 

The nofin was young, gangly and awkward, like it didn’t feel comfortable in it’s skin yet. It had dark curls that fell around it’s shoulders and a smattering of freckles around it’s nose and shoulders. Will approached, unafraid. 

The nofin jumped, startled at the sight, then relaxed. 

“Oh. You’re real.”

“You’re real?” Will asked, mimicking the phrase, trying to remember the words. 

“Yeah. I didn’t know if you would be. My grandfather always said you were and I hoped it was true but… You know,” the nofin trailed off, pulling it’s feet out of the water. 

It had more sense than Mike had possessed. 

“Real?” Will asked again, confused.

It had been too long since Will had spoken the nofin tongue, he barely remembered it. 

“I’m Michael,” the nofin said, introducing itself. “I’ve wanted to meet you forever. This is amazing, I can’t believe you’re really here,” it breathed, still staring at the mer. 

Will hesitated a moment, trying to remember how to say it. 

“Will.”

“I know. I know all about you. He never stopped talking about you. Or writing,” the young man said, presenting the book it held in it’s hand to show Will. “I want you to have it. I think it should belong to you.”

Will reached to take the book and the nofin recoiled at the sight of his claws. Will hesitated again. 

“Swim?” he asked, trying to be inviting, less intimidating. 

“I uh, don’t really know how.”

That was fine. Will could teach him, this offspring of Mike. He could teach the nofin how to move through the water like it was a second skin. He could teach it to hunt and play and swim in the waves, show it the best fishing spots and where the best treasures could be found. 

Will smiled, exposing his teeth and this time, the nofin didn’t flinch away.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this because I needed a break from "The Freedom of Falling". I know this isn't my normal style and I know it's a strange AU, but I hope you enjoyed it. Kudos and comments are always appreciated. Take care of yourselves.


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